


Senses

by AlpacaSoon



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blind!Mipha, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Feels, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, IrregularHeartbeat!Urbosa, Kisses, Mute Link (Legend of Zelda), Painless!Daruk, Poetry mixed with prose in Chapter 3, Romance, Tasteless!Revali, Zelda POV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-22
Updated: 2019-01-27
Packaged: 2019-10-14 11:02:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17507375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlpacaSoon/pseuds/AlpacaSoon
Summary: Link wasn't the only Champion with a handicap.





	1. Finding (Everything)

Zelda regarded the boy that stood in front of her.

Short (but still taller than her), sandy-haired, blue-eyed, mouth pressed into a small line, and that detestable sword against his back.

That sword, a symbol of all her failures.

That sword, a symbol of her mother’s untimely death before she could properly teach her daughter anything.

That sword, a symbol that while she had everything, it wasn’t enough.

“I don’t need a guard to follow me around everywhere,” she finally snapped tersely, “much less one that will be watching my every move. Don’t get in my way.”

The boy nodded, didn’t say a word, and simply followed silently as she swept away.

 

* * *

 

It was absolutely detestable.

No matter where she went, he followed. No matter what she did, he seemed to judge silently. Even when she snapped and screamed, “Stop following me!” he kept following, with that sword flashing on his back. Silent.

“Why won’t you say anything!?” She finally snarled one day, hands shaking and eyes burning.

His own blue eyes met hers, raised a hand, and—

_I can’t._

Zelda felt her breath stutter and her heart drop.

Link’s hands moved in a smooth flurry of motions that Zelda had learned, the importance drilled into her by one of royal tutors, _“One day you may have to communicate with some subjects this way, Your Majesty.”_

_I’m mute._

He bowed his head, hand moving around his heart.

_My apologies._

Zelda felt horrible. Here she was, constantly snapping at him and berating him, without even waiting for a response—a response that she might’ve seen if she stopped turning her back to him so much.

“N-No. I should be the one apologizing. My mistake. I… I should have noticed sooner.”

Her guard looked up, and Zelda saw his eyes—

Serene. Peaceful. Promising.

A blue sky of hope.

Zelda smiled, and Link smiled back.

 

* * *

  

“An honor to be of service to you and Hyrule, Princess Zelda,” Mipha bowed down, clouded amber eyes closing.

Zelda felt her breath catch. “I—Lady Mipha, I never realized—!”

Mipha laughed, a clear and bright sound. “Please, don’t panic. It is an affliction I’ve had since birth. Many Zora, in fact, are born blind. Our ancestors, when lived in just the water, did not have much need for sight, and could communicate through just sound. That has been passed down through our lineages. However,” she reached for Zelda’s hand, “that does not mean I cannot pilot Vah Ruta. Please, look past my afflictions and let me prove myself.”

 

* * *

 

Zelda coughed in the thick mountain air. Link passed her an elixir, and she greedily downed it, thankful for the its fireproof effects and how it eased the smoke in her lungs. “Thank you,” she rasped.

“Oh! Is that the Hylian embassy?” A voice suddenly called out, and Zelda jumped in surprise as a rock barreled straight towards them. Link jumped in front of her, but had no need to draw his sword as the rock unrolled into a large Goron.

“Bwahaha! No need to worry, boy! Welcome to Death Mountain! Name’s Daruk, nice to meet ya!” Daruk held out a hand, and Zelda moved to shake it, but let out a gasp of horror at the sight of a large gash on his palm.

“Oh Goddess!”

“Oh, whoops! Must’ve cut myself on a rock back there. Oh, this isn’t a good first impression, is it…”

“Doesn’t it hurt?” Zelda looked up at Daruk with round eyes, bandages already in her hands.

“Oh, this? Oh no, I don’t feel pain.”

“...What?”

“Born with it! Strong and resilient as a rock, they say. Can’t feel pain. Doesn’t mean I’m cold like stone though! Though, I doubt any rocks here on Death Mountain are cold…”

 

* * *

 

Revali, oh vain, proud Revali, who snapped up Zelda’s burnt charcoal of a fruitcake without a second thought.

All the other champions stared at him. Even Link couldn’t bring himself to touch the fruitcake, and he ate _everything._

Revali clacked his break and asked, “What?”

"From the sounds if it, you just ate the burnt fruitcake," Mipha said, head tilted to listen closely.

 _And without any facial expressions either,_ Link added.

“Now that I don’t think about it, Revali never reacts to anything at mealtimes, does he?” Daruk mused. “Not even to that lovely rock roast the other day…”

“That’s because no one eats rock roast other than you, Daruk.”

“Well maybe if you just tried it, little Mipha—”

“Revali?” Zelda cut in, reaching up to gently touch Revali’s wing. The Rito had at first wilted, then stiffened, as if preparing to fly away. “What’s wrong? You can tell us anything, you know.”

“...can’t taste.”

“What was that?”

Revali sighed, then spoke louder. “I can’t taste anything. Happy now?”

 _Honestly? No._ Link signed. _That means you can’t taste all the delicious food I make, and then I can’t boast to you._

Zelda glared at him, then turned back to Revali. “That doesn’t make you any lesser, Revali.”

“Yeah!” Daruk grinned. “That means you can just eat this fruitcake for us!”

“He can’t taste, Daruk. That doesn’t mean he’s immune to stomachaches.”

 

* * *

 

“I’m flattered that you chose me to be Naboris’ champion, little bird, but I guess I’m joining in on them and their handicaps.”

“What do you mean, Urbosa?”

Urbosa gently led Zelda’s fingers to her wrist. Zelda paused, then gasped and stepped back. “Urbosa…!”

“Yep.”

“But how—”

Urbosa shrugged. “I guess from all the lightning I summon. Don’t worry. My heart rate hasn’t done anything to my body so far, only scaring people who happen to feel it. I’ve given doctors a few scares.”

“But it’s so irregular!” Zelda protested. “That can’t be normal! Is there anything we can do?”

“I’ve tried, little bird, I’ve tried. Can’t do anything except live with it. Come, wipe that look off your face. I’m powerful yet. Don’t worry yourself over my heart beating—worry when it stops.”

 

* * *

 

“I don’t,” Zelda choked out, shivering and cold and wet after Link had dragged her half-conscious out of the freezing spring, “understand.”

As Link busied himself with draping his cloak over her shoulders and building up a fire, the others gathered around her as Zelda caved in on herself.

“Why can’t I summon the power? I try, and I pray, and I keep trying, and trying, and _trying.”_ Her voice broke, teardrops freezing on her cheeks. “I’m just a failure… I can’t do this one thing… What’s wrong with me?”

Mipha slowly reached forward and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I used to ask myself the same thing,” she whispered softly.

Zelda blinked past her tears and turned to look at her friend.

“I used to ask myself that— _’what’s wrong with me?’—_ each day. To be honest, in these times, it isn’t normal for Zora to be born blind, and a member of the royal family no less. I spent weeks, no, _months,_ dragging myself down for someone I couldn’t control. It was… One of the worst times of my life.” Mipha confessed.

Daruk nodded. “Oh yeah, I feel you. The other kids used to be scared of me, in fact. To them, I was a beast that could feel no pain. Some even threw rocks at me to experiment. Jokes on them! I ate those rocks. But my mom… She treated me like glass—delicate and easy to break just because one thing about me was different.”

Revali and Urbosa nodded in agreement. “While my affliction doesn’t actually have much effect on my quality of life,” Revali said slowly, “I must admit that there were points in my life that I did hate myself, questioned why I was different.”

“And I too.” Urbosa agreed quietly. “My heart… All it has done was attract unwanted attention. People view it as a weakness. But I won’t let them. Not anymore.” She finished resolutely.

“See? Urbosa is right, Zelda.” Mipha gently held Zelda’s hands, sightless eyes gazing into her own. “Just because you don’t have something, or you can't do something… It doesn’t make you any weaker. Maybe your power will come to you. Maybe it won’t. But you don’t have an obligation to force yourself to become something you aren’t. Do what you’re passionate about. Do what makes _you_ happy. Don’t judge yourself on what you don’t have. Make decisions on what you do have.”

A quiet cough cut in, and Zelda looked up to see Link beside a blazing fire.

 _I agree,_ he signed simply.

Zelda couldn’t help but break into laughter at his short, truthful answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's been playing Breath of the Wild.
> 
> That game is, hands down, the best I've ever played. Beautiful art, touching storyline, amazing open-world exploration...
> 
> The idea for this fic hit me over the head like a hammer, and I knew I just had to write it. If you were confused by anything, then here's the tl;dr. Link is mute, Mipha is blind, Daruk can't feel pain, Revali can't taste, and Urbosa has atrial fibrillation, which basically means she has an irregular heartbeat. 
> 
> I really wanted to make this fic poignant and heart-wrenching, like a lot of BOTW fics I admire, but IDK if I managed to get there... Especially after all my crackfic FEH fics. Ah, well. 
> 
> Get ready for angst! Hint, the next chapter is going to be titled Losing (Everything).
> 
> BTW, I finally got a Twitter! I've also made a new Internet persona for myself, BisexualDisastaur ('cause AlpacaSoon was made in 2011 with approximately 2 minutes of thought).
> 
> So feel free to hmu with your thoughts over there, or leave kudos/comments here. I'm interested to hear your thoughts on this fic/my theory!


	2. Losing (Everything)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She used to have everything, and now she had nothing.

Zelda let out a cry and crashed to the ground, everything suddenly going blank.

Blank, like the oblivion where her powers lay.

Blank, like her sight had been taken.

Blank, like—

* * *

_“So, if you’re blind, do you just see black?” Zelda asked._

_Mipha hummed, swinging her legs over the ledge they were sitting on. “Well, I’ve never seen colors before. If I were to describe it… It’s blank.”_

_“Blank?”_

_“Those who can see will see the world with their eyes, vision that provides a sense. I can only see through my other senses—what I hear, what I smell, what I feel…”_

_“I see.” Zelda nodded._

_“Yes. It can be a little oppressive, perhaps, when I travel somewhere new. But as long as I am with you, and you are with me, everything’s fine.”_

* * *

 

Zelda sobbed. She was blind, and that could only mean one thing.

_Mipha’s not with us anymore._

 

* * *

 

Link had wrapped a hand around her waist, leading her along, sword outstretched in front of them when Zelda suddenly realized she couldn’t taste the blood in her mouth anymore.

She staggered, nearly bringing Link into the fall with her. “Revali…!”

Revali, proud and vain. Revali, who could taste nothing but didn’t let that bring him down. Revali, who’s pride and care made him so great of a friend.

Link tugged at her arms, hands rapidly tracing letters on her arms, but all she could do was clutch her chest. Mipha, and now Revali… Who would be next?

 

* * *

 

Zelda staggered again, knees hitting the ground. No pain raced through them, and she clenched her teeth as Link raised her up again.

Daruk, strong and resilient. Daruk, loud laugh and protective arms. Daruk, dead with Mipha and Revali.

 

* * *

 

Zelda fell to the ground with a scream, heartbeat stuttering. Link immediately kneeled beside her to lift her, but she bowed her head and dug her fingers into the ground. “How… How did it come to this?”

She lifted her sightless eyes to the sky. Rain fell upon her face, soaking into her dress. She shuddered—the cold brought no pain like it had before, but it stabbed deep into her heart.

“The Divine Beasts… The Guardians… They’ve all turned against us. It was… Calamity Ganon, wasn’t it? It turned them all against us. And everyone… Mipha, Revali, Daruk, Urbosa… They’re all… They’re all—!”

Someone deep inside Zelda broke, and she wailed. “It’s all my fault! Our only hope for defeating Ganon is lost because I couldn’t awaken this cursed power! Everything… Everything I’ve done up until now… It was all for nothing. I truly am just a failure.”

Shaking, Zelda brought up her hands to Link’s arms, anchoring herself. “I… I used to have everything. But now… Now… What’s left? My friends, gone. My kingdom in ruin. My father—” Her breath hitched.

“I left them all to die.”

Sobbing, she threw herself into Link’s arms, praying. What for? She didn’t know.

 

* * *

 

“Link, go! Save yourself. I’m nothing but useless to you. Go! _Run!”_ Zelda screamed.

She felt his hair shift against her cheek as he forced himself up, shaking. The scent of smoke and death surrounded them. The beep of a guardian came closer, and she could feel its looming presence, the heat of a laser aimed to kill her last Champion…

_“NO!”_

For a moment, everything came rushing back.

The pain in her limbs.

The taste of salt and iron.

Her heartbeat, steady and powerful.

A golden light, shining to save the world.

Everything rushed again back to a dizzying blankness, but Zelda never felt more complete. “W-Was that… My power…?”

A faint gasp of pain and the sound of someone collapsing behind her brought her back, and she stumbled backwards, hands reaching out.

“No… No, Link!” She found him, gently lifting his body, one hand feeling the silky strands of his hair and the other pressing against his warm chest.

Warm. Wet. Blood. Her knight was bleeding out.

“You’re going to be just fine,” she pleaded. She felt his head turn to her, hand reaching up to softly touch her cheek…

Her voice was gone.

Link lay limp in her arms, his warmth already fading.

She pressed her cheek against his chest, her own heaving with silent sobs.

Who was she? Zelda, an amalgamation of her kingdom’s hopes and her friends’ dreams. Zelda, made from her mother and father’s love. Zelda, who loved and loved and loved until she lost everything.

Her mother, dead. Her friends, murdered. Her father, lost.

_Link, alive._

Zelda gasped as she felt the voice in her mind. Reaching out, she felt the Master Sword pulse under her hand.

_This is not goodbye._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, feel free to leave kudos and/or comments!


	3. Regaining (Everything)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And for the first time in 100 years, she had a Link to the world again.
> 
> (Zelda snorted to herself at that pun. Ganon shrieked in anger and immediately began his attacks anew on her holy light.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Do not go gentle into that good night"  
> ~Dylan Thomas

_Do not go gentle into that good night,_

_Old age should burn and rave at close of day;_

_Rage, rage against the dying of the light._

 

For 100 years, she waited in Hyrule Castle.

For 100 years, she beat back the darkness, hand outstretched, listening as Ganon screamed and writhed.

For 100 years, she waited, without sight and without pain, without taste and without voice and only the irregular, staccato beat of her heart to keep track of time.

And for the first time in 100 years, her hero stirred, and she called out to him.

 

_Link… Wake up._

 

And for the first time in 100 years, she had a _Link_ to the world again.

(Zelda snorted to herself at that pun. Ganon shrieked in anger and immediately began his attacks anew on her holy light.)

 

* * *

 

_Though wise men at their end know dark is right,_

_Because their words had forked no lightning they_

_Do not go gentle into that good night._

 

Between one blink and the next, she regained her sight.

She stared straight into the gruesome, spidery face of Ganon. A lesser person would’ve screamed and fainted from the shock, perhaps even died. But she was the princess of Hyrule, and a smile twisted her lips as she lifted her hand again.

Mipha’s voice echoed in her ears.

_Together, we will fulfill our destinies…_

 

* * *

  

_Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright_

_Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,_

_Rage, rage against the dying of the light._

 

A week later, Zelda nearly choked on the taste of blood in her mouth.

It had been 100 years, after all; the salty, heavy, iron taste of blood suddenly made her waver. Ganon shrieked and spent a blood moon spiraling across the skies. Clenching her teeth, she sent her message to Link, then looked up at the beast again.

 _Don’t give up yet, Princess._ Revali’s whisper ghosted past her ears.

She set my mouth grimly, glaring up at the beast as it hissed and spat at her. She couldn’t give up yet, not when the light was so close.

 

* * *

 

_Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,_

_And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,_

_Do not go gentle into that good night._

 

The first instance of physical pain after 100 years made her fall, instantly inciting an explosion of pain in her side. She lay there, gasping, curling up on herself. A century of standing on her feet and stretching herself thin to enclose Ganon had not been kind. Pair that up with unhealed wounds from that day in Ash Swamp and…

Ganon shrieked triumph and descended down on her defenseless body… Only to be repelled back as Daruk’s roar filled the castle.

_You can’t stop now, Princess! Now, let’s show that ball of slimy evil what we can do!_

Taking comfort in his words, Zelda held up her hand again, tear pricking at her eyes—not in pain, but in happiness.

There was just one left.

 

* * *

 

_Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight_

_Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,_

_Rage, rage against the dying of the light._

 

Rage, rage, rage. That was all Ganon was.

Rage, rage, rage. That was all Zelda felt as sparks flew off her skin, Hylia’s light blazing white-hot.

Complete. Finished. With all her sight, her senses, and her thumping heart, all turned into a weapon against Ganon. All of it, she devoted fully to her duty, to her birthright. Ganon screamed and writhed under the Goddess’ light. It wasn’t enough to kill him, but enough to entrap the monster, the beast who she would ground into dust.

But not without help. She let out a breath and cast her senses over the wild, to a hero and his steed galloping beneath blue skies and over golden fields, beautiful golden hair and bright blue eyes.

 

* * *

 

_And you, my father, there on the sad height,_

_Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray._

_Do not go gentle into that good night._

_Rage, rage against the dying of the light._

 

As she waited for Link, Zelda cast her sight to the Great Plateau again.

To the eyes of her father’s spirit, awaiting atop the Temple of Time.

_Father… If I could just speak to you one last time._

_I’m sorry._

_I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for your final moments, to help defend our home._

_I wonder… Would Mother be proud of me? For unlocking my power? Are you proud of me?_

_I wonder if you knew how much I love everything._

_How much I love the land. How much I love my friends. How much I love Link._

_How much I love you._

_I promise you, Father._

_The light will not die._

 

* * *

 

The light kissing her was warm against her skin.

Both literally and figuratively.

The sunshine was gentle, soft flutters tracing over her skin, the gentle breeze curling her hair.

That, and the boy kissing her, lashes fluttering against her cheeks, hands holding her body against his.

Complete. Whole.

Alive.

A breath of freedom in the wild of Hyrule.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's been studying poetry in her literature class.
> 
> I have no idea if this poem even fits XD. I actually got the idea in the middle of the poetry exam, which made concentrating very difficult because one half of my brain was screaming WRITE THE FIC and the other half was screaming STFU AND GET AN A ON THIS EXAM and I think I failed the exam? IDK. 
> 
> Anyways, poetry is good stuff. I just never want to see another stanza after spending a month and half on analyzing it. 
> 
> AAANYWAYS IT'S FINISHED! Wow, can y'alls believe that I actually finished a multichapter fic? Amazing, I know.
> 
> I... Don't know what to say. To all those who have read and left kudos and/or a comment, thank you so much! It means so much to me to see that people are reading and enjoying this fic. If you haven't left a kudos/comment yet and you enjoyed the fic, consider leaving one! It really brightens up a writer's day to see someone doing so. ^_^
> 
> Alright, I'll leave you all in peace now. Again, thank you so much!!!


End file.
